South Carolina: By the numbers
Trey Stewart, Staff Writer
According to a report put out a few weeks ago, South Carolina was reported to have the highest education rate out of all 50 states in America. But what about other areas? Is South Carolina performing well in other aspects as compared to the rest of the U.S? Let�s take a closer look at what usnews.com had to say.
Health Care: 41 of 50 states
South Carolina was ranked 41 in the U.S. in terms of health care, based on three aspects: Health care access, health care quality and the overall public health throughout the state.
Economy: 15 of 50 states
South Carolina was ranked 15 in the U.S. in terms of economic success based on these three qualities: job growth, unemployment rates and overall amount of participation in the labor force.
Opportunity: 36 of 50 states
This statistic measured the economic opportunity in the state, the equality based on wages and the affordability of living in South Carolina.
Infrastructure: 33 of 50 states
South Carolina�s infrastructure was measure based off of the electricity and energy quality and prices in the state, the transportation quality (roads, etc.) and the internet access available throughout the entire state.
Crime: 42 of 50 states
This is the area in which the state of South Carolina ranked lowest in. These rankings were based off the correctional systems (covering the prison and penitentiary systems) and the overall public safety of South Carolinians.
Overall Ranking: 42nd of 50 states
Clearly, education can only do so much when it comes to the overall ranking for the state of South Carolina. While our education system may be quickly on the rise and grades may be skyrocketing over the course of these past several years, the state of South Carolina has plenty that still needs to be fixed.
Whether you believe the next step is fixing the potholes in all of our roads, creating more opportunities for jobs across the state or stopping the influx of crime from making its way around our state, there�s no denying that South Carolina has plenty of areas that could use some bolstering should it ever move into the upper tier of the United States of America.